Sanner Group strengthens medical device design and development capabilities with the acquisition of Springboard Pro
3 January 2024 - Sanner Group, a leading global healthcare packaging manufacturer and medical device Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) has acquired Springboard, a specialist in the design and development of medical devices for regulated markets.
The acquisition of Springboard is in line with Sanner Group’s goal to build a suite of world leading services for its customers across the drug delivery, diagnostic and medtech device sectors. Springboard’s extensive capabilities will substantially boost Sanner Group’s in-house medical device development capabilities and see the establishment of a new Design Center of Excellence in the UK.
Hans-Willem van Vliet, CEO of Sanner Group, commented: “Sanner Group has transformed from a market leader in desiccant closures and effervescent tablet packaging, to a sought-after provider of customer-specific solutions in the fields of medical technology, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare. The acquisition of Springboard further strengthens this offering, giving our customers deep expertise and support across the entire medical device development process, from initial concept design to commercial manufacturing.
“Springboard’s strong reputation for delivering exceptional concept through to manufacture design services, along with its ability to solve complex technical and scientific problems for its customers combined with an excellent culture, make this a highly complementary acquisition. We very much look forward to welcoming the Springboard team to the Sanner Group and delivering excellence at all stages of the product lifecycle.”
Springboard specializes in developing devices from an initial concept through to manufacture with a full suite of engineering, multidisciplinary scientific skills and forensic engineering capabilities, delivering a full service offering to its customers for both pre- and post-product launch. The 30-strong company, with extensive in-house capabilities such as physics, electronics, software, and materials science, holds a strong reputation for fast and cost-effective regulated device development that delivers valuable intellectual property for customers. Springboard’s expertise spans across drug delivery devices, such as autoinjectors, infusion pumps, inhalers and syringes, and equipment and consumables in the fields of respiratory, surgical, critical care, implantables, diagnostics and biotechnology.
Sanner Group is building a next generation device-CDMO that combines agility and smart thinking with a long tradition in the active primary healthcare packaging sector, including the world’s largest portfolio of effervescent products. The acquisition of Springboard is an important part of Sanner Group’s strategy to enhance its CDMO activities in the medical technology and diagnostics arena. Sanner Group’s new Design Center of Excellence will be at the core of this and will ensure Sanner Group are best placed to support this high growth market.
“We are excited to join Sanner Group to form its Design Center of Excellence for medical device development,” said Tom Oakley, Director of Springboard. “Our clients, from the largest multinational companies to the fastest growing startups, will not only be able to access design innovation based on first class scientific and engineering capabilities, but also benefit from integrated design for manufacturing. We can support every project from small-scale production for verification and clinical trials to full-scale serial production within the Sanner Group’s global manufacturing facilities.”
Keith Turner, Director of Springboard, further added, “Our combination with Sanner Group brings world-class intelligent healthcare solutions to our clients, and is a major step in our growth journey. Sanner and Springboard have a shared commitment to improve people’s lives around the world and we are excited to be pursuing this objective together.”
Sanner Group was advised by Alvarez & Marsal as financial advisors and Deloitte as tax structuring advisors with Norton Rose Fulbright acting as legal advisor.
Prism Corporate Broking and Integrity Tax advised Springboard with HCR Legal LLP acting as legal advisor.
Sanner Group and Springboard will be exhibiting at Pharmapack 2024 booth B87 to meet customers and showcase the new value proposition and capabilities for device design, development, and manufacturing.
About Sanner
Sanner GmbH was founded in 1894. Headquartered in Germany with best-in-class manufacturing facilities across Germany, France, Hungary, and China, Sanner has successively developed from a global market leader for desiccant closures and effervescent tablet packaging into a sought-after provider of customized solutions in the areas of medical devices and diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and consumer healthcare. Today, Sanner supplies its products to more than 150 countries globally and has over 600 employees. In November 2021, GHO Capital, Europe’s leading specialist investor in healthcare, acquired a majority stake in Sanner to partner with the fourth generation of the Sanner family to continue to support the growth of the company with a specific focus on transforming Sanner into a global MedTech CDMO and facilitating the business’s transatlantic expansion into the US.
Media contact (Germany)
Commha Consulting GmbH & Co. KG
Annette Crowther
Poststraße 48
69115 Heidelberg
Germany
Tel. +49 (0)6221 18779-27
sanner@commhaconsulting.com
Media contact (UK/US)
ICR Consilium
Amber Fennell, Kris Lam, Andrew Stern Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700
sanner@consilium-comms.com
